Why is it so important to get more friends and followers?It makes me feel as if I'm back to collecting marbles and seashells -- stamps -- Indian head nickels.
My neighbor has three cartons cluttering her basement-- baseball cards her son used to collect. I don't know if kids still collect them, but no doubt about it -- millions of people are collecting Friends and Followers every day.
I log onto Facebook and Twitter every a.m. -- again in the p.m. i spend two to four hours on this what -- hobby? Obsession?
Why am I doing it? What am I accomplishing?
Am I getting more famous? More successful?
Um ...
Well, I think I'm getting a larger audience for my blog. If more people "like," approve, retweet, comment, won't it help me sell my published books?
Well, book markets are jammed with books by celebs and semi name guys. I'm just a semi-demi name because I'm married to John Cullum, who's not exactly a celeb, but he's got a name as a Broadway, TV star.
So, okay -- by expressing very carefully my philosophies and politics (not alienating Repubs), merely sharing what's on my mind -- my "art" is perceived by 50 to 150 people a day.
Though I'm not earning money, I'm emerging from the general mass of people tweeting and Facebooking, and therefore, I am actually doing something worthwhile -- more people reading my blog means MORE, which is better than LESS which happens if you're not promoting yourself.
Um ...
Comforting element: Aggrandizing friends and followers is a measurable activity like losing weight -- you can SEE the numbers changing.
Hey, celebs tweet about daily trivia. Millions follow, and one mill can become five mill, who might buy the celeb's DVD, or tickets for their latest film, , or head for the stadium where they're playing.
Okay. What's the nitty gritty? If you are not famous how do more friends and followers help YOU?
I Googled. (When I'm not sure what's really significant, Googling helps) I found out what the actual monetary value of a friend, and of the follower is.
Two experts -- Brian Ries, a Newsweek researcher, and Susan Payton, President of Egg Marketing and Communications, who published a paper that Facebook and Comtech have quoted -- say friends are worth about $3.50 each. Tweet followers $2.50.
The numbers are based on what your list of friends and list of followers might be worth to a product manufacturer. Value is measured as ROI -- Return On Investment.
.
Clearly, collecting names keeps me creating smart art -- art that I'm hoping someone will discover and turn into a real McCoy ROI ... .
HOPE is ROI.
Um ...
Posts
6 comments:
Em,
You never cease to amaze me. Had I not Found you, my mornings may not have been as bright. You get me going with your plethora of what ifs?, your what's what's, and your views on various mundane yet equally important things.
I followed you when I saw your lovely photo. Something about it intrigued me. Perhaps your maturity. No clue. Just the same, I am pleased by your writing.
To be frank, I had no idea who JC was until I heard your first vlog. I never watched ER, but Huge fan of L&O, but still didn't know him by name. But his voice is very distinctive.
Thank you for being there in the am, thank you for lowing me the forum for my ramblings, and thank you for being you! As long as there is Twitter and Facebook, you have yourself 6USD invested!
M
I'm kind of disappointed that I'm only worth $3.50, but, hey! You takes what you gets!
Well Em-you know where I stand with your talkery, books, and blog! I am glad you are getting more followers and reaching more readers. I enjoy your writings very much and hope someday I will be worth my weight in gold.
kam
At first read (yesterday) I knew this was an excellent & important 'write' ~ however my brain became 'overwhelmed' taking it all in & being able to process it. I had to wait 24+ hours & let it work it's way all around that mysterious place between my two ears. :)
* * *
I really dislike Facebook ~ I have only clues or fragments of thought as to why that is. I think the primary is I'm simply 'uncomfortable' there & highly distrusting of the place.
* * *
I really love twitter & tweeting. I primarily got there because I'm a Green Bay Packers fans & if I were to have an established agenda for being there, that'd be it.
* * *
Otherwise, I'm free like a bird to sing & flit here & there, find some seeds, or perhaps bread crumbs, even a juicy worm along the way ~ & take an interest in many things 'on' in the world that I care to add my bird song into. I also get to share some of 'me', 'my world'.
* * *
Now YOU ~ well would it be even the slightest bit rude to day you are one of my most juiciest worms? !!!
YOU catalyst my thoughts, YOU catalyst my replies ~ YOU honor me as I am & my comments ~ YOU bring MORE to my life. YOUR words/YOUR views ~ YOUR gumption, grit, determination & unrelenting life force ~ YOUR sharp mind, quick wit~ YOU EM add so much 'value' to my heart & soul. YOUR ability to write & replenish your blog so consistently with really good stuff is almost beyond belief.
* * *
I RT you not because I 'have to' but because I 'want to' ~ people I like who like me back (genuinely as you do) ~ I want to 'support' in any small way I can ~ I want to share the very special 'magic' that is YOU!
* * *
I do not mind in any way, shape or form those folks on twitter that have a 'business' or 'success' agenda with only a couple exceptions I could think of right off the bat...... the USA political hate mongers...I realize this is America ~ we have free speech, people have a right to their opinion...but why express it so vigorously with 'personal attack hate' & not 'fact checked' truths ~ alleged news story links that are in fact not news but opinions.
Today and each day I can at least one time every 24 hours~ I plan to to tweet #theywhohatethemostlosemyvote
* * *
The next exception I don't want a thing to do with is anything that has to do with uh abundance of spam porn bots & twitter accounts (the twitter whores) like that.
NOT what I want to promote or have anything to do with. Frankly people do & will make their own choices ~ I just don't think this has any goodness about it & they are not up to any good thing except to pull folks down.
* * *
So 'political hate mongering' & 'porn' ~ I don't want to see perpetuated into yet another generation. I see feeling this way as coming from my own place of discernment & not 'evil hate'.
* * *
So you may have a 'business' & 'success' agenda ~ that seeks some tangible ROI. This is an 'honest', forthright agenda on your part & my discernment is that you are so much an authentic & genuine person, Ms. EM! I implicity understood & accepted your 'agenda' from the 'get-go'.
* * *
Your 'intangible ROI' is that so many of us APPRECIATE YOU, root for YOU & are blessed by what you do. I firmly believe the Universe means for you to have the 'tangible ROI' & it will happen for you.
* * *
Sigh, dang it I got really windy AGAIN, please do consider it a soft/gentle breeze of love for YOU & that John Cullum o yours & your FAMILY....I'm @grammakaye on twitter.
I think you hit it on the nose. Sometimes less is more, but not in the case of the starving artist with regard to friends and followers. It's all about creating REACH until your REACH starts reach for you, you know, when someone else tells someone else about you and your stuff/art/sport/thing that you do without you knowing.
I'll be honest. Sometimes I log onto Twitter and read my timeline and wonder what I'm doing there sometimes. This article helps to reinforce my ideas and put things into perspective. Excellent.
Really enjoyed this. Thanks. I think you have described this activity very accurately! Look forward to reading more from you. Cheers Noelle
Post a Comment